Rotary engine.



G. F. LEIGER.

ROTARY ENGINE,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1910.

977,888. k Patented Dec. 6, 1910;

4 BHBETS-SHEET 1.

G. F. LEIGER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIQATION FILED MAY16,1910.

4-. SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. F. LEIGER.

ROTARY ENGINE.-

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1910.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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75': MORE 5 rzrsns G. F. LEIGER.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 16,1910.

977,888. Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

GEORGE E. LEIGER, OF SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

erases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. e, 1910.

Application filed May 16, 1910. Serial No. 561,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. Lnrenn, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Haven, in the county of Van Buren, State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to engines and particularly to that type ofengine in which a plurality of cylindersare mounted upon a single shaft,in the operation of the engine the cylinders themselves being adapted torevolve.

It is the object of this invention to. provide an improved engine inwhich there shall be no tendency of the pistons and links to bind onaccount of the fact that the power is applied at one side of theeccentric, whereby cylinders of any desired size may be employed withoutproducing undue friction and without causing undue loss of power and inwhich the parts may be maintained at all times in balance so that theengine may be operated at high speed without danger of injury to theengine by reason of centrifugal force.

It is a further object of this invention to improve this type of enginein sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The means by which I haveaccomplished this object are illustrated in the drawings and hereinafterspecifically described.

That which I believe to be new is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved engine;Fig. 2 is a top or plan view; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top or plan View, partly in section, of theright-hand end of the machine as shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 is an endprojection of Fig. 5.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, in which correspondingparts are indicated by like reference characters,10 indicates the baseof the machine, and 1112 indicate standards rising therefrom. 1314eindicate bearings carried by said standards, and 15 indicates an archextending from one of said hearings to the other.

16 indicates a shaft journaled in the hearing 13, and provided on itsouter end with a pulley 17 18 indicates a heavy spindle, one end ofwhich is inserted in a central opening bored in the shaft 16 (see Fig.3) and the other end of which is journaled in the bearing 14. As shownin Fig. 6, the spindle 18 is provided with a crank 19, the wholepreferably being formed integrally.

20 indicates a lever keyed on the outer end of the spindle 18, and 21indicates a circular rack secured 011 the hearing 14, at any pointaround which rack said lever is adapted to be set and secured by meansof a latch mechanism 22 of any approved type. By means of this lever thespindle 18 may be rotated a partial turn so that the crank 19 will standas desired on either side of the longitudinal central line of thespindle l8 and shaft 16.

2324-25 26 indicate four cylinders formed integrally with a hub 27 whichis keyed upon the tapered inner end of the shaft 16. 28 indicates a nutscrew-threaded on the end of said shaft to hold said hub, in positionthereon.

29303l32 indicate four cylinders formed integrally with a hub 33 whichis mounted loosely upon the spindle 18. The cylinders are arranged inpairs directly opposite each other, cylinders 23 and 29 forming onepair, cylinders 24 and 30 another pair, cylinders 25 and 31 a thirdpair, and cylinders 26 and 32 a fourth pair. Each pair of cylinders areconnected at their outer ends by two bars 34. which cause the cylindersformed on the hub 33 to rotate with the cylinders formed on the hub 27and therefore with the shaft 16 and pulley 17. Each of the cylinders isprovided with a piston 35 and piston-rod 36. Fixedly secured to the endsof the piston-rods of each of said pairs of cylinders is a crosshead 3738 indicates bars connecting the crossheads 37. In the constructionshown, these bars 38 comprise plates, cut out at their central portionsto straddle the shaft 16 and the spindle 18, and end rod portions, thewhole being made integral. These bars 38 are held in posit-ion by clamps39 embracing the rod portions thereof so as to permit the bars to movelongitudinally of themselves relative to said cylinders. 404l indicatetwo links pivoted at their inner ends on the crank 19 of the spindle 18,and pivotally connected at their outer ends to two of said crossheads 37so as to stand practically at right angles to each other.

42 indicates a horizontal opening leading from each of the cylinders atits inner end.

43-44 indicate valves fitted upon the outer ends of the hubs 2733,respectively, each of said valves being provided on its inner face withtwo concentric arc-shaped grooves 4546. Each of the valves 43 44 isprovided with a socket in its outer face into which projects an arm 47suitably secured-on the framework to hold said valves against turningwith the hubs.

48- ind-icates a split collar screw-threaded upon the shaft 16 adjacentto the valve 43 and adapted to be locked in position thereon by a bolt49 passing through the ends of said split collar. 50 indicates a similarsplit collar screw-threaded upon the spindle 18 adjacent to the valve 44and locked in position by the bolt 51. Each of the collars 4S-50 issplit partly in two at its central portion, as indicated in Fig. 3, torender it more easily tightened in position by the bolt connecting itsends. By means of these collars 48 and 50, the valves 4344 may be heldwith the desired degree of pressure against the hubs 27-33.

Each of the valves 4344 has its groove 45 connected with a pipe 52through which steam, compressed air, or other fluid under pressure, isadapted to be forced from any suitable source. indicates a stop cock bywhich the supply of fluid under pressure adapted to be cut off orotherwise regulated. The groove 46 of each valve is also connected withan exhaust pipe With the valves 4344 held in correspondingpositions,-that is, with the groove 45 positioned in the upper half ofthe valve as shown in Fig. 4,-and with the lever 20 in the positionshown, upon the turning of the cook 53 to open the passage therethrough,compressed air or steam or other fluid under pressure is forced into thegrooves 45 of the valves. Passing through the openings 42, the steamenters the cylinders 23 and 29, and the pistons 35 in such cylinders areforced upward, carrying with them the uppermost crosshead 37. Throughthe medium of the bars 38, the lowermost crosshead 37 also is forcedupward, the pistons 35 in the cylinders 25 and 31 being free to moveupward by reason of the communication of the openings 42 in suchcylinders with the grooves 46 of the valves 43-le4 and thence with theexhaust pipes 54. The upward motion of the said lowermost crosshead 37,through the medium of the link 40, causes the cylinders and the shaft torotate in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4. This rotationbrings the openings 42 in the cylinders 96 and 32 very soon intocommunication with the grooves 45 of the valves 43 and 44, and theopenings 42 in the cylinders 24and 30 into communication with thegrooves 46. The crosshead 37 at the left is thereupon forced to theleft, of course, carrying with it,

through the medium of the bars 38, the crosshead 37 at the right in Fig.4 and forcing also to the left the pistons 35 in the cylinders 24 and28. The movement to the left of the crosshead 37 at the right-hand sideof the machine as shown in Fig. 4 (the said crosshead, however, notbeing shown), through the medium of the link 41, assists in producingrotation in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4.

It will be understood from the above explanation and from an inspectionof the drawings that each cylinder in turn is connected with the sourceof fluid under pressure, each cylinder being so connected up in theconstruction shown during approximately three eighths of each rotation.Thus at every phase of the rotation at least one piston of each set ofcylinders is so connect ed up and during approximately half of the timetwo of the pistons of each set are connected directly with the source offluid un der pressure. It will be understood, further, that in case thelever 20 is swung to the opposite side from that shown and the crank 19of the spindle 18 swung also toward the opposite side of the machine,the

pistons will continue to be actuated as be fore but the rotation will bein the opposite direction. It is likewise evident that with the lever 20in an upright position, so that the crank 19 of the spindle is in acorre spending raised position, the piston 35 in the uppermost cylinderwould reach the limit of its motion outward when such cylinder came to avertical position instead of when it came to a horizontal position. Whenthe cylinder came to such verticaliposition with the piston at the limitof its outward stroke, the engine would stop and remain so until thelever 20 was moved to one side or the other. It will be understood thatwith the lever 20 placed in a horizontal position toward either side ofthe machine the leverage of the links 40 and 41 will be the greatest andthe valves 43 and 44 will work to the best advantage. As the lever israised toward a vertical position, the leverage of the links40'41'becomes less and less, and the valves work less and lessadvantageously, with the result that the speed of the engine decreasesas the lever 20 is raised.

I have shown and described the valves 4344 connected up in parallelrelation with a common source of fluid under pressure, but I do notlimit myself to that construction. In case steam were used as a motivepower, for example, it might be desired to make the cylinders upon oneof the mg each It will be understood, of course, that power might beapplied to the pulley 17 and the device be used as a pump rather than asan engine, and I therefore do not limit myself specifically to its useas an engine.

That which I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is,

1. In an engine, in combination, four cylinders adapted to revolve abouta common axis, each of said cylinders being located diametricallyopposite and in line with another of said cylinders, a piston in eachcylinder, rigid connections between the piston in each cylinder and thepiston in the cylinder diametrically opposite it, and links cooperatingwith said rigid connections for pivotally connecting said pistons ineccentric relation to said axis.

2. In an engine, the combination of a shaft, a hub keyed thereon, fourcylinders radially mounted on said hub, each of said cylinders beinglocated opposite and in line with another of said cylinders, a piston ineach cylinder, a crosshead fixedly secured on each of said pistons, twobars each of which rigidly connects two oppositelydisposed crossheads,and links connecting two of said crossheads in eccentric relation tosaid shaft.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination with a revoluble hub, a pluralityof cylinders mounted thereon, said hub being provided at one end withlongitudinally-extending bores communicating with the inner ends of saidcylinders and having its said end beveled, a piston in each of saidcylinders, two bars one of which rigidly connects the piston in eachcylinder to the piston located in the cylinder on the opposite side ofsaid shaft, and links each connected at one end to one of said pistonsand pivotally mounted at their other ends in eccentric relation to saidhub, of a valve internally-beveled to fit closely upon the beveled endof said hub, said valve being provided with two concentric grooves onits inner face adapted to register with the bores in said hub, and meansfor forcing fluid under pressure into one of said grooves in said valve.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of four revolubly mountedradially disposed cylinders, four revolubly-mounted radiallydisposedcylinders positioned opposite there to, pistons in said cylinders, acrosshead connecting the pistons of each pair of oppositely-positionedcylinders, bars 38 connectpair of oppositely-located crossheads, andlinks each connected at one end to one of said crossheads and at itsother end mounted in eccentric relation to said revoluble cylinders.

5. In an engine, in combination, four cylinders adapted to revolve abouta common axis, each of saidcylinders being located diametricallyopposite and in line with another of said cylinders, a piston in eachcylinder, a piston-rod connected with each piston and extending radiallyoutward therefrom, rigid connections between the piston-rod in eachcylinder and the piston-rod in the cylinder diametrically opposite it,and two links cooperating with said rigid connections for pivotallyconnecting two of said piston-rods in eccentric relation to said axis.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination with a shaft, and a spindle inalinement therewith, said shaft and spindle being telescoped and adaptedto rotate freely relative to each other, of four cylinders radiallymounted on said shaft and keyed thereto, four cylinders radially mountedon said spindle and adapted to rotate thereon, said spindle beingprovided with a crank portion between said two sets of cylinders, rigidconnections 34: between the cylinders mounted on said shaft and thecylinders mounted upon said spindle whereby said cylinders are allcaused to rotate together, pistons in said cylinders, a crossheadconnected with the pistons of each of said pairs ofoppositely-positioned cylinders, bars rigidly connecting each pair ofoppositelylocated crossheads, and links each connected at one end to oneof said crossheads and at its other end pivotally mounted on the crankportion of said spindle.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination with a shaft, and a spindle inValinement therewith, said spindle and shaft each form ing the bearingfor the inner end of the other, of a plurality of cylinders radiallymounted on said shaft and keyed thereto, a like number of cylindersradially mounted on said spindle and adapted to rotate thereon, saidspindle being provided with a crank portion between said two sets ofcylinders, rigid connections 34 between said two sets of cylindersadapted to cause each pair of oppositely-positioned cylinders to movetogether, pistons in said cylinders, a crosshead connected with thepistons of each of said pairs of oppositely-positioned cylinders, linkseach connected at one end to one of said crossheads and at its other endpivotally mounted on the crank portion of said spindle, means for givingsaid spindle a partial rotation to vary the position of the crankportion of said spindle relative to the spindle proper, and valvemechanism adapted to connect said cylinders with a suitable source offluid under pressure whereby said cylinders are caused to rotate ineither direction according to the position of said crank portion of saidspindle.

GEORGE F. LEIGER.

Witnesses:

PHILIP SOMMER, W. H. DE BUsK.

